Slade out, God in, as Morrisons puts carols back on Christmas menu

Morrisons is bringing back Christmas carols to its stores after 15 years, after listening to its customers who said they preferred traditional songs to pop music.

Instead of favourites like Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody, shoppers will hear popular carols like ‘Silent Night’, ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ when they shop at Morrisons over the festive season.

A spokesman said: “Morrisons has changed the festive playlist following research which found 40 per cent of shoppers said they preferred listening to traditional carols and old favourites, with the number rising to over 50 per cent in the over 55s. Only one in ten (11 per cent) prefer to hear today’s pop songs while 50 per cent prefer to hear Christmas pop songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

“A quarter of shoppers (24 per cent) said that a poor selection of Christmas music is enough to make them leave a store. More than 40 per cent said that carols are more relaxing while shopping and 53 per cent said that they were better at getting people into the Christmas spirit.”

Rob Perrett, Morrisons’ DJ, said: “We are constantly listening to our eleven million customers and have learnt that Christmas pop is not everyone’s cup of tea so we have put more traditional carols back on the menu.”

Morrisons is also playing traditional songs from before the 1960s including White Christmas by Bing Crosby (1942), Jingle Bells by Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters (1943), The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole (1946), Twelve Days of Christmas by The Andrews Sisters (1949) and The Christmas Tree Angel by The Andrews Sisters (1950).

These will be played alongside a selection of modern day Christmas pop favourites. The spokesman added: “Morrisons stores nationwide will be welcoming pensioners to join them for a mince pie and tea or coffee. Local pensioners are invited to stop by the store’s café where free refreshments will be served on December 6.”